News today which doesn’t really come as much of a surprise with Sunderland reported to be prepared to smash their wage structure to sign Newcastle United’s Irish International Damien Duff.
Damien Duff – on his way to Sunderland
Reports in the News of the World say that Duff is the No 1 target for Roy Keane’s side as he looks to build up his squad for next season.
NOTW say Sunderland are prepared to make the winger the club’s highest paid player, and we believe Newcastle will be only too willing to sell.
Once Newcastle were willing to let Emre go, Duff fits into a similar category as the Turkish International, and was bound to be expendable.
He has great skills, has under-performed for the team over the last couple of years, and is more often than not out injured and the player is on massive wages on Tynesdie.
We would expect this deal to go through as long as Newcastle get the £5M they paid to Chelsea 2 years ago.
Then every fan will be wondering who the Tyneside club is going to bring in after Carr, Ramage, Diatta, Troisi, Emre and Duff will have already left with Ameobi and Rozehnal almost certainly also leaving in the summer.
Newcastle are prepared to off-load the left-sided midfielder for £5M in an effort to reduce their wage bill, which is in excess of £70M.
We fully expect Duff to leave Newcastle in the near future, and believe Sunderland are well positioned to sign him.
Another player we expect Newcastle will be willing to sell, once some buyers come in, is striker Alan Smith.
We just don’t see how the player fits in at the club as a striker.
Comments welcome.
69 comments so far
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:12 PM
Comment #1Good, now get rid of Smith, Ameobi, Rozehnal and Cacapa.
The Entertainers
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:12 PM
Comment #2Would’nt be a great loss. Especially if we keep Zog and the possibility of signing Arda….Big wages going out the door as well.
With Emre gone, this looks a real possibility now.
I wonder if these are with KK blessing?
figsdad
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:13 PM
Comment #3wooooo hoooooo i know its the notw..
but please let this be true…
HonoraryGeordie
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:15 PM
Comment #4Aii he’s a crock, but without all these fringe players we are struggling to put 11 players on the field! Everyone knew last season that our midfield was piss poor, too slow, had no creativity…so it doesn’t surprise me that they are all getting shipped out.. the surprising thing is that we are selling before buying? We have the cash flow to buy what we want, AND THEN ship out the dead wood?!
At least next week can only get better, we’ve got noone left to sell!
greg
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:17 PM
Comment #5wake me up when we sign somebody!
figsdad
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:18 PM
Comment #6Ohh we got people lined up..
Emre gone i think that emana bloke would be here soon…
toonoholic
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:19 PM
Comment #7toon king ,
if we sell smith , duff , ameobi and cacapa..
we dont have a SQUAD .
personally wld still love to see duff .
tam toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:20 PM
Comment #8See you then.
The Entertainers
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:20 PM
Comment #9Given / Harper
Beye /
Talyor /
Faye / Cacapa
Enrique /
Geremi / Milner
Butt /
Zog /
Owen / Smith
Viduka /
Martin /
With real question marks over Ameobi, Rozenthal and Duff, and really Lua Lua, Edgar and Carroll should go out on loan. Our squad is painfully thin.
This is not my prefered squad, but what we have to play with. Then surely we HAVE to buy 6-7 players now!
And KK said the squad only needed tinkering with, i just hope he has had some say in the sales and its not coming from Wise or Ashley.
najikhin
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:23 PM
Comment #10yes!!! sell all the players!!! all of them!!
Geordie Gerrard7
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Comment #115m for duff, 8 mill maybe for emre, 9 mill for milner. GREAT BUSINESS. just get torsoridis veloso/tymoschuck/de la red, turan, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, srna, cuellar or collicini, gomez/gomis/ashton
that would be ideal, cant see that happening but that is exactly what we need
craig chisholm
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Comment #12duff is shite so godo ridance. another cling on off the books and it frees of the left side for zogs to own outright which is about bloody time. we can not keep a bloke of that quality odwn forever, we need to let him loose and i think he is a key player. we are down to the bare bones though, no doubt about it. its one thing getting shot of duff, emre adn smith etc but it would be foolish to get rid of milner, he is too versatile and is worth keeping!!
Ross G
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Comment #13No much of an over haul hey KK, lol. He is probaby pressured, but i am happy if we get the same or more money for them, I heard that Keane was gonna make a join £10m bid for Duff and Smith. Quality. I would like us to keep Milner though. But Ameobi, Rozenhal, and Cacapa can go too. Then we can focus on younger and proven class. Arda for the left with him n Zog competing. Emana, Veluso, and Diane in. Colocini, and Hyypia. Gomis
toptoon
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:25 PM
Comment #14its so depressing at the minute, im dyin for some official good news!!
craig chisholm
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:27 PM
Comment #15najikhin………..thats funny man.
NUFCFAN
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Comment #16more good news
would love to see the double swoop – duff and smith to the scum.
be nice to get 12 though, just means that there will be more coming in.
four more to go please
scott9
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Comment #17i tell u wot if we get rid of all these players were gonna ned to bring in a more than 3-4 players
ToonKing
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:33 PM
Comment #18glad to see Duff gone, he really has done nothing at all for us.
PS: Why didn’t Keano just take the Ireland job ??
toonoholic
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:36 PM
Comment #19we already needed to get in 3-4 players
that was
2 from 3 options
lb , rb or cb
again 2 from these 3
cm or a striker or am
now barton is in jail and emre is gone .
that makes 2 more
smith duff cacapa ameobi
that makes 4 more
hoping lua lua and caroll breaks in
we subtract 2
so in all we need
4+2+2 = 8 players
if milner goes , make that 9 for having a squad fit for all season
Johnboy
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:38 PM
Comment #20Yet another so called star bites the dust in the north east, it seems. i remember a time when a club could buy a quality player and they wer quality.
Seems everytime we buy a big name, they go down a few notches or are never off the treatment table. Emre, Barton, Boumsong, Duff, Smith, Owen, Viduka, ect.
But in sayin that, KK is the man who’s made some of this clubs greatest signings. So hopefully he does get rid of the dead wood and brings in some players who actually play for the shirt!!!
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:38 PM
Comment #21Blood the youngsters, especilly Kadar, Lualua, Edgar and Carroll.
faustino
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:41 PM
Comment #22What’s amused me over the past week or so is watching how desperate a few people on this site are to keep hold of the players that are responsible for the clubs demise as much as any manager.
If by the end of next week Duff, Smith and Ameobi are gone, as well as Emre, then good work has been done. [The forgetfullness concerning Emre’s racist charges has been very apparent.] Anything would be better than them imo; a young player with a bit of talent and a lot of hunger would be a huge improvement on all of them.
Shame about Barton cos criminal or not he looked like he was improving and putting together some decent passing play. Fact is though, if he is unlucky at the end of june he’ll see a decent 3-5 stretch or, if he’s lucky, have another six months added to his current sentence; so either way he’s blatantly out on his ear.
A central defender, a left back, a right back, a wide left midfielder, a world class spoiler and a young striker imo. Seems like a few players but with the wage bill free of people like Smith, Emre and Duff and the stragglers that were let go, it shouldn’t be an issue.
However, as a footnote. It would rather seem that recent actions would suggest that we have managed to persuade Zog to stay and that we will not be selling Milner. Other wise things are starting to look a bit weird.
Marat18
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Comment #23That goes funnier and funnier every day!
What are the odds for Newcastle having less than 11 players at 30 of June? Worth a tenner?
Well, it looks good. It really does. I don’t know why, but I’m sure if KK lets Duff and Emre go, then he knows what he’s doing and has few aces up his sleeve.
The Entertainers
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:44 PM
Comment #24Its a good job the new away shirt is not out until 24th of July. I would’nt know whos name to get on the back at the moment, prehaps i could get the only name we know will be there WISE!!
Yeomsta
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:47 PM
Comment #25i see this as clearing the way (adding more to te wage budget) for us to go on a spending spree once the window opens, it all makes sense when you think about it. MA is worried about the wage expenditure so offload the highly paid deadwood as quickly as possible before july then blitz the market for the players that we want. I predict we’ll bring in about 4-5 players in the space of 2 weeks and everyone will be wondering what they were worrying about.
Also they wouldn’t be shipping out players like duff and emre if they werent positive about landing a few replacements, I reckon we’ve already tied a few up and knowing KK he’ll keep it quiet until we unveil, we’ve nothing more on the likes of Turan or Gomis recently, whos to say that’s not because the businss is already finalised but we are keeping it quiet. woodgate is a perfect example, ppl didnt realise he’d agreed to go to tottenham untill another club (us) went in him for him and then the news had to come out, it’s not very professional to announce it untill they are ready to be pictured wearing the black and white, and with the Euro’s coming up that’s not gonne happen just yet is it
Toon_Ksk
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:52 PM
Comment #26Players on Keane’s shopping list.
1. Former Man Utd players
2. Irish
3. Highly-rated Championship players
é
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:53 PM
Comment #27our team next season
buffon
sergio ramos, ferdinand, vidic, abidal
ronaldo, fabregas, gerrard, messi
torres, ibrahimovic
subs. adebayor, cech, terry, kaka, lampard
figsdad
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:54 PM
Comment #28good post yeo..
your spot on.
i think keegan knows what he’s doing..
i think emre going as a sweetner for turan myself..
Bill F
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:56 PM
Comment #29Always thought he had the makings of a great LB, bet that where he ends up at the Makems.
é
Jun 1, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Comment #30buffon – 30mil
serigio ramos 25mil
ferdinand 30mil
vidic 30mil
abidal 15mil
ronaldo 100mil
fabregas 45mil
gerrard 30mil
messi 40mil
torres 35mil
ibrahimovic 25mil
adebayor 25mil
cech 25mil
terry 25mil
kaka 30mil
lampard 25mil
xD
Marat18
Jun 1, 2008 at 2:02 PM
Comment #31Yeomsta,
agreed,
may be those reports “KK is in France to watch Gomis” should be read like “KK is in France to sign Gomis”.
Who knows?
Nev
Jun 1, 2008 at 2:05 PM
Comment #32stephen hunt as a replacement anyone ?
£3mil from reading seems a good offer and would be a good squad player, him and hopefully zogs battling for the left side of midfield , if we play 4-4-2 that is lol
Chris F
Jun 1, 2008 at 2:06 PM
Comment #33oh aye, duff makes a great left back.
left back on the bench.
Bill F
Jun 1, 2008 at 2:09 PM
Comment #34Nev, yeah I thought Hunt was probably Readings best player last season, could be a diamond in the making.
gonufc
Jun 1, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Comment #35Turan plays for galatasaray, Emre is goin to fenerbache. Somehow i don’t think its a swap deal!!
Hopefully have several potential signings in prospect, hopefully atleast one is ambitious and exciting (in the sense of a young skilful player with high potential- rather than an aging star)
Penalty-Spot
Jun 1, 2008 at 2:27 PM
Comment #36Off topic but have to mention, just read this on NUFC.com…
Suspicions that Obafemi Martins was swinging the lead over his failure to appear in two internationals this week have given way to genuine concerns over his fitness.
Speaking to journalists ahead of Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier with South Africa, coach Shaibu Amodu said:
“Obafemi said he had a scan on his ankle and the doctors said he’d be out for eight weeks.â€
With Mark Viduka already expected to be sidelined through injury for the opening weeks of the season, these so-far unconfirmed reports are anything but encouraging – whether we’re seeking to keep or sell the striker
oh crap
toonoholic
Jun 1, 2008 at 2:33 PM
Comment #37f**k , duff is on 70 k a week ! sell him to the mackems at once
JJ
Jun 1, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Comment #38If we bought no body all season and sold Smith, I would see the club taking a step in the right direction.
If we bought and sold SMith i would be over the moon!!!!
Darry
Jun 1, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Comment #39Talking about selling players, then mentioning all these other foreign players to bring in? where does that fit into the six + 5 rule? surely this will be in the back of the managers mind aswell as ma’s.
Graham
Jun 1, 2008 at 2:42 PM
Comment #40Dont worry about having a small squad – we couldn’t keep Nzogbia and a few others happy last season and, again with no european football we cant just sign players to put them on the sidelines.
Keegan knows what he’s doing so all you winging about no buys coming in relax – it will happen!